Catonsville’s Nick Barrett disqualified from U.S. Open qualifier

ROCKVILLE — If nothing else, Nick Barrett hopes his mental error can be a teaching tool for himself and others.

Barrett’s bid to earn a spot in the 125th U.S. Open ended in heart-wrenching fashion when he was disqualified Monday afternoon for not signing his scorecard in a certain allotted time after completing his first 18 holes of golf at a qualifying event at Woodmont Country Club. The Catonsville golfer accepted his fate and said he alone bore full accountability for his mistake.

“It’s really upsetting to go out like that because it wasn’t anything I did on the course or because I signed something wrong,” he said. “I just got caught up in the moment. That was my responsibility, and I just didn’t do it.”

Barrett, a 31-year-old UPS driver who shot a bogey-free round of 68 in the first round of U.S. Open qualifying at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring on May 5 to reach this stage, had finished a round of 73 at the midpoint of what was supposed to be a 36-hole day.

But when Barrett’s playing partners, Cole Miller of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, and Jason Li of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, showed up at the scorer’s tent to sign their scorecards, Barrett was absent. The pair waited as long as they could for Barrett, but signed their cards to grab a quick lunch before their next round began.

Tournament officials continued to hold onto the possibility that Barrett would appear and sign his scorecard. But when the next group of golfers to finish made their way to the tent after Barrett and his partners had completed up their round, officials had no choice but to disqualify Barrett.

Barrett, who had birdied the par-4 18th hole to wrap up his morning session, said he was feeling confident and was additionally buoyed by a gallery of about 40 family members and friends that was one of the largest on the course.

“I stood up after I had a hot dog or something at lunch, and I felt my back pocket, and I felt the scorecard in there, and as soon as I did that, my heart went straight to the bottom of my stomach,” he said.

Barrett showed up about 20 minutes after his round had ended, but by then, the ruling was official. Barrett left the course soon afterward but spoke by phone about the abrupt conclusion.

“It’s kind of hard to express, but just disappointment in myself because at the end of the day, it is my responsibility as a player,” he said. “I can’t blame anybody but me. It’s just a total gut punch.”

The strange turn of events surrounding Barrett’s disqualification marred what had been a feel-good story. He also reached the final qualifying stage for the U.S. Open in 2023 and advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Even though two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, 25-time European Tour winner Lee Westwood, six-time European Tour winner Thomas Pieters and LIV member David Puig had pulled out before Monday’s first tee time at 7:15 a.m., the field included the likes of 2009 Open champion and eight-time PGA Tour winner Stewart Cink, six-time PGA Tour winner Marc Leishman, and LIV members Sebastián Muñoz, Mito Pereira and Peter Uihlein. The latter four are participating in an event this weekend at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.